First Allotment.

[Allotmentnewbie]

Hi
I have our very first Allotment. I work for the local Aurtority with vunerble adults. I decided that it was a good way toget people out and doing some thing and also intergrate back into the community. Plus i have always wanted an allotment

So i basically have no idea what so ever !!!! We cleared the very overgrown allotment fairly qiuckly . We have then covered it.
Now the first problem i think we have is that we are at the bottom of a hill. Ita a lovely starter plot by the canel.

The mud is very wet almost clay. There is a trench dug around the allotment but its not keepping the water away......... Lovely British rainy weather.
I do not know what to do?? Was thinking maybe we should have rasied beds?? would be grateful for any advise. Thank you x

[bikermike]

Sounds a good idea!
do you have any pictures?
What is your (approx.) location?
Is there anyone there who can tell you what was there previously?

It's been a stinker of a year for weather, I'd probably think about buying in some plants (if your budget allows), some courgettes/squash etc will give some quickly visible gains.

Raised beds will be drier, but may dry out in summer.

[nickdub]

Raised beds are certainly the best bet - the tricky bit is getting something to make the sides from which will last. Some people go with things like old scaffold boards which are easy but they will last not much more than 3 years. Longer lasting materials like stone, blocks, bricks, railway sleepers are all possibles but the difficulty is usually the cost. The deciding factor is probably what you may be able to get free or cheap from secondhand sources such as freegle.

BTW when making these beds its best to lift the top 4 to 6" of soil completely and set it to one-side - then build the walls - fill the bed with new earth etc to raise the level - finally put the original top soil back. The reason being that most of the fertility is usually in the top few inches of the soil.

You may also want to give some thoughts to paths their layout width and what materials to use - bark and/or woodchips from a sawmill can provide a good surface in the dry but for a wet area gravel may be better.

[Baldy]

^^^ there is a school of thought that says that you don't actually need to have sides around the raised bed - for one thing wooden sides give slugs somewhere to hide...

For my next raised bed I may use wooden sides just during the initial period - once the soil/compost has settled remove the wood (then wait for the raised bed to spill out)

[nickdub]

^^^ there is a school of thought that says that you don't actually need to have sides around the raised bed - for one thing wooden sides give slugs somewhere to hide...

For my next raised bed I may use wooden sides just during the initial period - once the soil/compost has settled remove the wood (then wait for the raised bed to spill out)

Probably depends a lot on your soil whether a side-less bed will stay put. Mine here is very light and free draining over limestone rocks with one or two small pockets of clay. The only way I can think you could successfully have a side-less bed on this ground would be to grow plants round the sides with a sufficiently strong permanent root system to hold it altogether. If I had more usable space I might give that a try, but as it is a lot of the garden is v. steep (think hillside) and quite a bit of the rest is shaded by large trees, so I have to make the most out of the small % where veg growing is a possibility.

[Squingy]

Congrats on your new allotment plot. I recently moved and have to give mine up. My old site was so clayey they built a pizza oven from it and some hay and in the NW it rained all the time. Plus we we next to a river.

Raised beds help with the drainage. Not sure about your budget. Maybe start off with salvaged wood from pallets & a lick of protection paint. Or salvaged wood from tree trunks, my site had a tree surgeon who would donate some trunks. After a few years if you decide to keep yr plot (amazingly many ppl don't carry on) you can invest in sturdier material

For the clay soil my friend bought coir compost blocks which helped. Also most sites get compost/manure delivered in bulk. My committee sold them at cost for £18.22 for about 7 barrows full. Maybe ask if they do that and invest in some compost.

Some advice
- Dont sow seeds in the clay soil, even if the pack says so. Grow in sheltered soil first. Many of my courgettes, squash, corn etc rotted away happily when planted direct. Or make a trench or hole with compost and plant yr seeds in that.
- Potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes do well in some clay soil but don't plant them in when the forecast says a week of rain ahead.
- Try not to walk on clay planting soil. It compacts & when dried it's like hard rock. OK to leave grass on the walking path - won't get muddy when it rains.

Sorry to ramble on. Good luck.

[Lumpy]

Hello and welcome to the Vine.

What an exciting projest.

Things I would recommend -
Ask other plot holders if they know what was grown before and then say 'Thank You' smile sweetly and ask if they have spare plants excess to their needs.
Get everyone together and ask what you all want to grow.
It might be wet now but where will the water come from come summer?
Get people to draw a plan each then combine some of the ideas for the overall project.
Put the word out on Freecycle etc for tools, water butts, compost bins and fruit and veggie plants. If you explain why you want it all people are very generous.

Have Fun

[Nicos]

Hi there, and welcome to the Vine!

[geepee]

Welcome to the vine, enjoy your allotment .
A very worthy and commendable project.
I wish you much success.
Gp

[Aunty Social]

As everyone else said, welcome to the Vine, and good luck with your project - there is nothing like seeing green growing from black soil.

Our agricultural soil is so clay-y I would have been better off using it for pottery than attempting root veg. This year we've got a raised bed, and I have (much higher!) hopes.

[Allotmentnewbie]

Sounds a good idea!
do you have any pictures?
What is your (approx.) location?
Is there anyone there who can tell you what was there previously?

It's been a stinker of a year for weather, I'd probably think about buying in some plants (if your budget allows), some courgettes/squash etc will give some quickly visible gains.

Raised beds will be drier, but may dry out in summer.

From what i can gather. The past owners have all left and not done alot due to the problems with water. IWILLNOTFAIL .

Its at the bottoms of a hill by the canal. I am trying to upload pics but it wont let me !

[bikermike]

I'd recommend raised beds and starting at the driest end.

also be prepared to dig out a lot of rubbish left by the previous owners from when it started to not work for them.